The defamation ‘case’ in the occupied north against Ali Kişmir, the President of the Press Workers Union (Basin-Sen), has been postponed for the third time.
It is now scheduled for discussion on December 28, as reported by Yeniduzen.
Ali Kişmir, who faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison for an article he authored in 2020, was released on bail of 30,000 TL on October 6, with his case initially postponed until October 27.
The delay was to facilitate the testimony of witnesses and determine which ‘court’ should hear the case.
Following the hearing, Hasan Esendağlı, the President of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association, stated, “Witnesses will provide their testimony at the Nicosia District Court, and a decision will be made regarding whether the case will be transferred to the High Criminal Court.”
Kişmir’s lawyer, Hasan Esendağlı, argued that the disputed column had no connection to the ‘Security Forces Command’ and was, in fact, a political article.
Addressing reporters outside the ‘court’, Esendağlı noted that the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office would present its position on whether to proceed during the hearing on December 28. He stated, “We will navigate this path together. We will reconvene on New Year’s Eve,” should the ‘prosecutor’ determine on December 28 that no crime had been committed.
Ali Kişmir stands accused of “authoring an article that targeted the ‘Security Forces Command’ (GKK) and insulted and ridiculed the institution’s moral character,” potentially leading to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The lawsuit contends that Kişmir insinuated Turkish officials gathered in a ‘security forces’ building in order to meddle in Turkish Cypriot elections.
Kişmir is well-known for his critical writings regarding Ankara-backed President Ersin Tatar.
(With information from Yeniduzen and LGC News)
